Coffee and Type 2 - effect on Glucose and Insulin

[Tirianne]

I know there's been some debate as to whether those with T2 should be drinking coffee or not and if so then how much? I came across this information on Healthline .com today (link below) and it's helped clarify how people with or without diabetes respond to coffee and caffeine.

Any thoughts or comments.....?

Coffee’s Effect on Glucose and Insulin
A 2004 study published in Diabetes Care showed that a dose of caffeine before eating resulted in higher post-meal blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes and an increase in insulin resistance. So while it could be beneficial for protecting people against diabetes, it may pose dangers to people who already have type 2 diabetes.

There are a lot of ingredients in coffee other than caffeine. Some of them may be responsible for that protective effect seen in the 2014 study. Also, drinking caffeinated coffee over a long period of time may change its effect on glucose and insulin sensitivity. Tolerance from long-term consumption may be what causes a protective effect.

Another 2004 study looked at a “mid-range” effect on people without diabetes who had been either drinking 1 liter of coffee at day, or who abstained for a period of four weeks. At the end of the study, those who consumed more coffee had higher amounts of insulin in their blood, even when fasting.

This is usually a reflection on insulin resistance. The body has to make more insulin in order to remove sugar from the blood stream. The “tolerance” effect seen in long-term coffee consumption must take a lot longer than four weeks to develop.

There’s clearly a difference in how people with diabetes and people without diabetes respond to coffee and caffeine. A Duke University study had habitual coffee drinkers with type 2 diabetes continuously monitor their blood sugar while doing daily activities.

During the day, it was shown that right after they drank coffee, their blood sugar would soar. Blood sugar was higher on days that they drank coffee than it was on days they didn’t. Coffee might be protective in those who haven’t developed diabetes, but caffeine can be dangerous if you already have type 2.

There may be benefits to coffee outside of caffeine, and drinking decaffeinated coffee may have certain benefits for those with diabetes. Chlorogenic acid and other antioxidants may have highly beneficial effects, but not a lot of studies have been done in people with diabetes. Magnesium is also found in coffee, and that may have a positive effect on insulin sensitivity.

http://www.healthline.com/health/co...edium=Email&utm_campaign=diabetes#Prevention2

 

[AndBreathe]

I can't say I have noticed any marked change in my glucose/insulin response if I drink coffee, but I have noticed that if I have more than two small, real, coffees I can tend to get the caffeine shakes. Testing at that point shows it's not anything hypo/hyper, but more an increased sensitivity to the caffeine.

Of course, there could be other factors at play, in that I have trimmed right up, and can go through weeks on end without drinking coffee at all. Who knows.

 

[ally1]

I,m a strong black coffee drinker and have, t noticed any rises in my bs levels

 

[Silver Hammer]

Since being diagnosed I have got quite a coffee habit and thoroughly enjoy strong black coffee, usually 1 or 2 cups first thing and then 2 or 3 in the evening. These bean to cup machines are wonderful things! I certainly haven't noticed any significant change in BS readings due to the coffee and don't get any caffeine shakes. I regard it as a sugar, carb and calorie free and hence guilt free treat to enjoy whenever I can. As per my signature below it obviously cannot be causing any adverse effects to raise my HbA1C and I intend to carry on with my consumption. Each to their own though.

Maxwell

 

[bigjohn9916]

I have at least 4 cups of black Nescafe a day plus a couple of cups of Tea, I can't say I have noticed any effect.
mind you I have been consuming that amount for at least 45 years. and I still got diabetes
I did try decaff for a while in the evening, but found I was not sleeping very well.
Those people in the study who had spikes must have had sugar in it.

 

[DeejayR]

If it confirmed the tests were all done with black coffee (ie no milk or sweetener) I'd probably have another cup of coffee and think about it.

 

[Celeriac]

Took delivery of my favourite coffee today, Lofbergs Lila Harmoni, a Swedish brand of organic South American Arabica medium roast filter coffee. Two bags, 450g each £6.20 each and will last me until November 2016.

One 1 person cafetiere (fills a 1/4 pint/142ml mug), maybe twice in a weekend, usually some hours before lunch, black, no sugar or sweeteners.

I've been drinking black coffee since we ran out of milk at Girl Guide camp when I was eleven, and decided that I liked it better. At home we had instant Monday - Friday, ground at weekends. As a teenager in Sixth Form I practically overdosed on cheap instant to keep awake, but since then, only had ground coffee. If we couldn't afford it, I went without.

It didn't have any preventative effect on me Are the researchers using Relative Risk or Absolute Risk ?

When these researchers are saying that coffee raised BG, are they using instant ? Is it decaffeinated ? If they are using ground, is it a medium roast or something stronger ? Are they adding sugar or sweeteners ? How much of a rise are they saying ? 5.5 to 11.0 or just 5.5 to 5.6 ?

I've never bothered testing after drinking coffee and I won't. That just seems a tad too obsessive to me.

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[Larissima]

Blood sugar was higher on days that they drank coffee than it was on days they didn’t.

There are no days when I don't drink coffee, so I cannot make that comparison. I am quite happy with my BG levels at present, especially post-prandial (and post-coffee; I have one large mug in the morning, and another after lunch, each from a cafetiere double the size of Celeriac's), so I'm not planning on experimenting with caffeine withdrawal any time soon.

 

[4ratbags]

I specifically tested to see what effects coffee had on my BS and the results were shocking 'nothing happened' so I for one will continue to drink it. I can do without the bread, pasta and ice cream but I dont think I could handle no caffeine.

 

[Sean01]

If it confirmed the tests were all done with black coffee (ie no milk or sweetener) I'd probably have another cup of coffee and think about it.

I've read it before on your posts and I saw it again. You managed to come off your statins. That gives me hope. I'm on statins at the moment and have been for years. I used to love grape fruit (5-6 a day in the good old days and you can't beat an ice cold vodka and grapefruit., but I can't eat them on statins and I probably can't eat too much now I'm diabetic - but one little taste?

 

[SlyFox]

OK, first posting... Make it a good one ...

I belong to the 'I wanna know for sure' brigade. So I test a lot.

In general, regardless of personal motivations, it seems to me that ;

Type I's test to keep their BG in range and avoid Hypo's and Hyper's to avoid long term complications, and stick 'emselves with Insulin. Job done. And can pretty much live normal otherwise.
Type II's mostly take their meds and test once in a while, not getting too worked up about daily BG levels, happy to await their HBA1C checks to keep them on the straight and narrow. And can pretty much live normal otherwise. I was once this person.

I'm now a diabetic edge case.

I can't tolerate the Type II drug options anymore, so strict dietary control and lots of exercise and testing of my dietary responses are now my lifeline. Its not so much an obsession with testing so much as wanting to avoid the long degeneration into becoming insulin dependent if I can't see whats happening to an uncontrolled and broken system.

I'm not going to bore everyone with the how, what and why of that. Except to say that my testing methodology will stand scrutiny and is performed on small variations (the law of small numbers) observed over a significant period (weeks or months).

Since diagnosed as diabetic, my coffee is always strong and the same brand and black, cant have it any other way now. When I travel my coffee goes with me. I feel like one of Terry Pratchett's reformed vampires

So nil residual effects of milk etc muddying the water.

It has no observable direct effect on my BG response at any time of day. Thank god!

Having observed that, and in that coffee has for me some psychological or other physiological effect (which is an added bonus) of suppressing my carbohydrate craving, I think its a net win. Otherwise I may get a BG spike from stuffing my gob with something unwise.

Bear in mind that the carb craving suppression may in fact be a very short term BG rise outside of my testing times. This I have yet to check for. My Pancreatic response is so sluggish so I've not tested for that before assuming that its not the case. I will test that soon and I may report back if there is any point.

My Achilles heals are, Sugar, Milk, Wheat...

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

I don't drink caffeine drinks as they give me anxiety and sleeping problems which are known to cause elevated bg levels. From this little one person study, I conclude that bg can be raised in people who are sensitive to caffeine.

 

[Tirianne]

Thanks everyone - really useful comments. There was a recent article in the press this week encouraging people to drink more coffee - for health benefits !! Seems to confirm that different things affect people in different ways. We've all read about this on the forum on other threads - some can eat bread or cereal - whilst for others it really has an impact on BS levels.

Like many here, I can't do without my mid-morning and after lunch coffee - I don't like ordinary tea -but have recently discovered Lemon Green tea - and also Jasmine Green tea drunk black and meant to be good for you!! My other newly discovered drink is 20ml of apple cider vinegar + little stevia ( disolved in hot water) with more hot or cold water to make up a glass full. I drink this before meals and my BS fasting levels are now in 6s instead of 8s.

Anyone else got a favourite drink..... ?

 

[chris lowe]

Doesn't matter what the davice these so called "experts" give out, there's always another "expert" to say the opposite. I go to my local cafe at least 6 days a week and have a capuccino & a white americano. On the few occasions I have tested after there is no spike in my sugar levels. I'll have another coffee in the evening after dinner. I think it's like a lot of things, it affects some people and not others. We're all individiuals and react in different ways. Just hope the latest research is right. If coffee extends your life I'm going to end up living to 150 years old Actually that's a bit scary, I hope the research is only a little bit right.

 

[DeejayR]

You managed to come off your statins.

I'm taking a gamble though. My cholesterol overall was 7 at the last count and for all I know is still going up. And the trig figure wasn't available. I can't work it out without the LDL, which they don't do any more. My GP said, "It's your life so if you want to stay off the statins, go ahead." Gulp.

 

[Celeriac]

The Honolulu Heart Study showed that the older people with higher cholesterol lived longer than the older people with lower cholesterol.

I just don't think that cholesterol is the baddie until you hit a certain age and then it transforms into the good guy. I don't think it ever was the bad guy.

I mean, Ancel Keys' Diet-Heart Hypothesis and his Seven Countries Study were utter rubbish. The guy had no medical or nutritional qualifications either.

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[martsnow]

I have decided to stop taking the satins, the side effects are crippling me, I don't know whether, I will live longer or shorter. I would rather live live a little shorter, and not having the devastating side effects that I have with statins. I love my coffee, and no matter what, I am going to carry on drinking it, I have not noticed any noticeable effects, on my BG levels.

 

[SlyFox]

I think that its only a gamble if you knock out the Statins and don't do anything else (yourself or with your GP) about why you needed them in the first place.

T'was what I did (without my doctors approval), but I went on to fix my cholesterol as well, so I now get no more nonsense out of him on that subject. But at the time it definitely felt like a gamble because GP would not even discuss the option. Actually there no discussion with him anyway.